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Lycopene, a carotenoid in tomatoes and other red fruits, is a potent antioxidant that has gained a reputation as a possible chemopreventive agent against prostate cancer.

With dietary supplementation, increased amounts of lycopene are found in the skin, raising the possibility that lycopene might have potential as a cutaneous photoprotectant.

A randomized, controlled trial in nine healthy adult women with Fitzpatrick skin types I or II had 55 grams of tomato paste (~ 16 mg of lycopene), mixed with olive oil on bread, added to their daily diet. 

After 12 weeks of supplementation, the ultraviolet (UV) light–induced erythemal sensitivity of these women and eight others who ate only olive oil and bread were measured. A modest but statistically significant increase in the mean erythemal dose was seen with tomato paste, but not with olive oil alone.

Sources:

Craig A. Elmets, MD. Published in Journal Watch Dermatology October 8, 2010.
Rizwan M et al. Tomato paste rich in lycopene protects against cutaneous photodamage in humans in vivo. Br J Dermatol 2010 Sep 21; [e-pub ahead of print]. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2133.2010.10057.x)